Strategy
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Strategy is the layer everything else depends on. Without it, marketing chases every opportunity, hiring is reactive and the team can’t tell what matters most. Research from McKinsey has found that most employees don’t understand their own company’s strategy. In a small business, that usually means the strategy lives only in the owner’s head.
What strategy training covers
- Unique selling proposition: a clear statement of why customers should choose you. (See Sharpening Your Unique Selling Proposition.)
- The Golden Circle: Simon Sinek’s Why, How and What model for purpose-driven messaging.
- Vision and core values: where the business is going and how the team makes decisions. (See Crafting Your Company Vision.)
- Customer personas: who the business serves best.
- The strategic plan: goals, priorities and a one-year roadmap.
- Scorecards: the handful of numbers that show whether the plan is working.
Strategy training options in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts SBDC advisors help with business plans and strategy at no cost.
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses includes growth planning within an intensive, selective program.
- University executive education offers strategy courses, typically for larger companies.
- Private cohort programs, such as SCALE UP, teach strategy applied to your own business, reimbursable through the Workforce Training Fund.
How to choose strategy training
Look for training that ends with a written plan for your business, not a theory binder. If you’re not sure strategy is your biggest gap, the free Growth Readiness Scorecard will show you in about 10 minutes. The plan should be simple enough for your whole team to understand and specific enough to guide next quarter’s decisions.
Strategy training inside SCALE UP
Module 01 of SCALE UP, Strategic Planning, is 10 hours of instructor-led training covering your USP, the Golden Circle, core values, customer personas, company vision, a strategic plan that delivers results, and company scorecards. It comes first because every later module (team, marketing, lead generation and AI) points back to it. Participants leave the module with the foundation of their one-year growth plan, built on their own business.
Frequently asked questions
What is a strategic plan for a small business?
A short, written plan that defines where the business is going over the next year, its priorities and how progress will be measured.
How long does it take to build a strategic plan?
With structured training, most owners can build a one-year plan over a few weeks of sessions.
Can strategy training be reimbursed in Massachusetts?
Yes, when it’s a registered, instructor-led course. Strategic consulting, where an outside firm writes the plan for you, is not eligible. See the Workforce Training Fund guide.
Who should be involved in strategy training?
The owner and the people who will carry out the plan. Building it together is what makes the team own it.